When it comes to marketing your title, you have so many options that it can be an overwhelming task if you don’t approach it with a plan. In my last blog I talked about creating a strategic plan for your title. The work and thought you put into it now will save time and energy tenfold in the future.
Everybody has a different idea of how to using marketing tactics to grow their book sales. The most effective tactics depend on your title and the audience demographics of those reading your book. Who is buying your book? What is the purpose of your book? Do you have a sequel to the book? Can you develop supporting solutions around your book such as consulting and workshops?
This list, clearly, is not exhaustive, but let’s look at a few potential marketing strategies and outlets.
• Web presence is the hub that houses all of your information and links out to all the other social media and marketing pieces. It continues to bring clients back to you to see what is new and current, and the books you sell through your website have a higher profit margin than books you sell on Amazon, for instance.
• Blogging shares helpful content with your fans and client base. It isn’t all about you, and trying to sell in your blog is usually a huge turn off. This is where you can really connect with readers and potential readers, especially if you respond quickly to any comments people leave.
• Facebook is a good place to keep your current client base informed, upsell, and generate referrals. Not many new clients will come to you from Facebook at first, but as your popularity grows, more and more strangers will trickle in.
• Twitter is another way to stay connected to your current client base and retweet from other sources. Tweets have a very short shelf life.
• Pinterest is the fastest-growing social media site. Create boards and pins that link followers to a site where they can purchase your book and products.
• YouTube and Vimeo are places to get your videos out there if you have them. Link to them in your blogs for additional search engine optimization (SEO).
• LinkedIn is the professional network. A great way to connect with professionals of all kinds and experience levels.
• Traditional marketing methods include direct mailing, postcards, and phone calls; some say it is dead, but others still find great success with these methods. Is it right for your client base?
• Complimentary webinars are short offerings that help to establish your credibility in your space.
As I said before, this is not an exhaustive list of the tactics you can use. We did not mention electronic newsletters, conferences, radio and TV interviews, book reviews, Instagram—the list goes on, and there is always a new social media trend emerging that you will very well need to incorporate into your larger plan. There are many great marketing and social media gurus to follow for very detailed information on each of these tactics.
Which tactics have you been using, and what successes are you seeing?
